Battle Wages In State Legislature To Require Training For Security Guards

LANSING (WWJ) — An effort to require training for security guards in Michigan stalled in the state legislature and one of the sponsors isn’t happy about it.

The bill was sparked by the death of a Ferndale man at Northland Mall in January. Michigan is one of just seven states that requires no training for security guards, and that’s why State Representative Thomas Stallworth said it’s needed.

“Meanwhile, we’ve got security guards every day interacting with the public,” Stallworth said. “We’ve already had , had four deaths in southeast Michigan in the last 10, 12 years that could have been avoided.”

25-year-old McKenzie Cochran died after allegedly being restrained and pepper sprayed by security at Northland Mall. His death was ruled accidental, but his family has filed an $800 million wrongful death suit.

“The legislation that Representative (Rudy) Hobbs and I have been working on was legislation designed to address the lack of requirements, training requirements and oversight for security guards in light of the number of deaths that citizens have experienced as a result of interactions with security guards,” Stallworth explained.

Stallworth said that State Senator Darwin Booher is holding up the bill, having been working on his own security measure.